Doctors have "regenerated" heart muscle for the first time using shockwaves.
Heart muscle can be 'regenerated' using shockwaves
People who were given the treatment after a bypass surgery were shown to have clinically improved a year later compared to patients who had not received it.
A trial involving more than 60 people in Austria showed that patients had more oxygen pumped around the body by the heart and were also able to walk for six minutes before needing a rest. They also had a superior quality of life to those who had not experienced the 'regeneration'.
Professor Johannes Holfeld, from Innsbruck Medical University, says that the treatment could benefit "millions of people".
He told the BBC: "It means they are able to go out for a walk with their dog again or go to the supermarket in their everyday life.
"We also anticipate they will have a longer life expectancy and fewer re-hospitalisations."